I upgraded from a C-7 to a C-8 hub just over a year ago, and since then, I've encountered frequent crashes, particularly overnight. The hub often functions well for a couple of days before failing, requiring a manual restart by unplugging and then plugging it back in.
Initially, I thought the migration process might have caused the problem, so I reset the hub to its factory defaults. Unfortunately, this did not resolve the issue. Here are the details:
Rules: I have only 13 automation rules, most of which are triggered by mode changes or motion.
Devices: Currently, I've only added 54 devices (mostly Z-Wave and Zigbee) to the hub, which is about one-third of my intended setup.
Crashes: Before, the hub would crash with a red LED indicator, but now, it seems only the UI crashes while the hub remains pingable on the network.
Logs: Attached is a screenshot of the event log showing the frequency of these crashes (reboots):
Wi-Fi Issues: Another recurring problem is the Wi-Fi mode getting stuck in AP mode, broadcasting the hub's presence externally. I've temporarily resolved this by connecting it to my home Wi-Fi.
I'm genuinely fond of the Hubitat system for its capabilities, but these reliability issues are becoming a significant inconvenience. I'm at a loss for how to ensure its stability without constant attention. Has anyone else experienced similar problems? Any solutions or insights would be greatly appreciated.
Let me start by saying your experience is not the norm.
For my first guess. Is your hub connected via ethernet or WiFi - if ethernet check to make sure that your WiFi information is empty (running both is known to cause issues)
My hub is also hooked up via ethernet and I had issues with the UI locking up and I could not access it via IP or the App but the hub itself still functioned with automations. Not sure if this is what you meant when you said you had issues with UI locking up. To fix this I had to go into Settings and then Network Settings (I believe is what it is called) and change that from auto negotiate to 100 Mbps fixed. When I done this my UI lock up issues went away.
No, none of my automations were functioning. The device itself became completely unresponsive; only the green LED remained lit. Although it was still pingable on the network, all other functionalities, including access to the interface and execution of automations, ceased to work.
I had an issue similar to this many years ago on my c-5 hub. It ended up being a faulty z-wave device that was putting a strain on the hub for whatever reason. In order to single it out I removed about 3 devices at a time so I could narrow down the bad device. Once I found the bad device I factory reset it and then added everything back. It worked and did not have the problem again.
You have 54 devices. It may take a little work but I have a hunch you will locate a faulty device. Start by removing 3-5 devices. If the hub no longer crashes then you know your problem is within those 5 devices. Then add one back in and wait to see if the hub crashes. Repeat until you find the problem. Humor me and give this a try and then post whether or not it solved the problem. I would be curious to know.
I performed a complete reset on all devices before re-adding them to the hub. Upon reviewing the logs, I observed that one particular Inovelli switch appears to be putting significant strain on the hub.
I really think it’s a device. Even though you factory reset them all, there could be a bad device still causing the strain. I don’t think it’s a Hubitat issue but rather a device issue. I could be wrong but I had this similar problem too.
It sounds like you already have an idea with a bad device. Start there. I know it’s cumbersome but I believe you can isolate the problem if you add or remove devices in small batches.
Unfortunately the process of elimination is cumbersome and I believe you know that already. I would hate to see you jump ship when I still believe it’s a device issue. Hope you still give it a try. If I’m wrong, I think the problem will be extremely difficult to solve unless you get a new hub and start fresh.
